Sermon 23. Tolerance of Religious Error

"He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of
faith." Acts xi. 24.

{274} [Note] WHEN Christ came to form a
people unto Himself to show forth His praise, He took of every kind.
Highways and hedges, the streets and lanes of the city, furnished guests
for His supper, as well as the wilderness of Judea, or the courts of the
Temple. His first followers are a sort of type of the general Church, in
which many and various minds are as one. And this is one use, if we duly
improve it, of our Festivals; which set before us specimens of the
Divine life under the same diversity of outward circumstances,
advantages, and dispositions, which we discern around us. The especial
grace poured upon the Apostles and their associates, whether miraculous
or moral, had no tendency to destroy their respective peculiarities of
temper and character, to invest them with a sanctity beyond our
imitation, or to preclude failings and errors which may be our warning.
It left them, as it found them, {275} men. Peter and John, for instance, the
simple fishers on the lake of Gennesareth, Simon the Zealot, Matthew the
busy tax-gatherer, and the ascetic Baptist, how different are these,—first,
from each other,—then, from Apollos the eloquent Alexandrian, Paul the
learned Pharisee, Luke the physician, or the Eastern Sages, whom we
celebrate at the Feast of the Epiphany; and these again how different
from the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Innocents, or Simeon and Anna, who
are brought before us at the Feast of the Purification, or the women who
ministered to our Lord, Mary the wife of Cleophas, the Mother of James
and John, Mary Magdalene, Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus; or again,
from the widow with her two mites, the woman whose issue of blood was
staunched, from her who poured forth tears of penitence upon His feet,
and the ignorant Samaritan at the well! Moreover, the definiteness and
evident truth of many of the pictures presented to us in the Gospels
serve to realize to us the history, and to help our faith, while at the
same time they afford us abundant instruction. Such, for instance, is
the immature ardour of James and John, the sudden fall of Peter, the
obstinacy of Thomas, and the cowardice of Mark. St. Barnabas furnishes
us with a lesson in his own way; nor shall I be wanting in piety towards
that Holy Apostle, if on this his day I hold him forth, not only in the
peculiar graces of his character, but in those parts of it in which he
becomes our warning, not our example.

The text says, that "he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost
and of faith." This praise of goodness is {276} explained by his very
name, Barnabas, "the Son of Consolation," which was given him,
as it appears, to mark his character of kindness, gentleness,
considerateness, warmth of heart, compassion, and munificence.

His acts answer to this account of him. The first we hear of him is
his selling some land which was his, and giving the proceeds to the
Apostles, to distribute to his poorer brethren. The next notice of him
sets before us a second deed of kindness, of as amiable, though of a
more private character. "When Saul was come to Jerusalem, he
assayed to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of
him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and
brought him to the Apostles, and declared how he had seen the Lord in
the way, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly
at Damascus, in the name of Jesus." [Acts ix. 26, 27.] Next, he is
mentioned in the text, and still with commendation of the same kind. How
had he shown that "he was a good man?" by going on a mission
of love to the first converts at Antioch. Barnabas, above the rest, was
honoured by the Church with this work, which had in view the encouraging
and binding together in unity and strength this incipient fruit of God's
grace. "When he came, and had seen the grace of God, he was
glad" (surely this circumstance itself is mentioned by way of
showing his character); "and exhorted them all that with purpose of
heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Thus he may even be
accounted the founder of the Church of Antioch, being aided by St. Paul,
whom he was successful {277} in bringing thither. Next, on occasion of an
approaching famine, he is joined with St. Paul in being the minister of
the Gentiles' bounty towards the poor saints of Judea. Afterwards, when
the Judaizing Christians troubled the Gentile converts with the Mosaic
ordinances, Barnabas was sent with the same Apostle and others from the
Church of Jerusalem to relieve their perplexity. Thus the Scripture
history of him does but answer to his name, and is scarcely more than a
continued exemplification of his characteristic grace. Moreover, let the
particular force of his name be observed. The Holy Ghost is called our
Paraclete, as assisting, advocating, encouraging, comforting us; now, as
if to put the highest honour upon the Apostle, the same term is applied
to him. He is called "the Son of Consolation," or the
Paraclete; and in accordance with this honourable title, we are told,
that when the Gentile converts of Antioch had received from his and St.
Paul's hands the Apostles' decision against the Judaizers, "they
rejoiced for the consolation."

On the other hand, on two occasions his conduct is scarcely becoming
an Apostle, as instancing somewhat of that infirmity which uninspired
persons of his peculiar character frequently exhibit. Both are cases of
indulgence towards the faults of others, yet in a different way; the
one, an over-easiness in a matter of doctrine, the other, in a matter of
conduct. With all his tenderness for the Gentiles, yet on one occasion
he could not resist indulging the prejudices of some Judaizing brethren,
who came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Peter first was carried away; before
they {278} came, "he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come,
he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them which were of the
circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch,
that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." The
other instance was his indulgent treatment of Mark, his sister's son,
which occasioned the quarrel between him and St. Paul. "Barnabas
determined to take with them," on their Apostolic journey,
"John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take
him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with
them to the work." [Gal. ii. 12, 13. Acts xv. 37, 38. ]

Now it is very plain what description of character, and what kind of
lesson, is brought before us in the history of this Holy Apostle. Holy
he was, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith; still the characteristics
and the infirmities of man remained in him, and thus he is "unto us
for an ensample," consistently with the reverence we feel towards
him as one of the foundations of the Christian Church. He is an ensample
and warning to us, not only as showing us what we ought to be, but as
evidencing how the highest gifts and graces are corrupted in our sinful
nature, if we are not diligent to walk step by step, according to the
light of God's commandments. Be our mind as heavenly as it may be, most
loving, most holy, most zealous, most energetic, most peaceful, yet if
we look off from Him for a moment, and look towards ourselves, at once
these excellent tempers fall into some extreme or mistake. Charity
becomes over-easiness, holiness is tainted with spiritual {279} pride, zeal
degenerates into fierceness, activity eats up the spirit of prayer, hope
is heightened into presumption. We cannot guide ourselves. God's
revealed word is our sovereign rule of conduct; and therefore, among
other reasons, is faith so principal a grace, for it is the directing
power which receives the commands of Christ, and applies them to the
heart.

And there is particular reason for dwelling upon the character of St.
Barnabas in this age, because he may be considered as the type of the
better sort of men among us, and those who are most in esteem. The world
itself indeed is what it ever has been, ungodly; but in every age it
chooses some one or other peculiarity of the Gospel as the badge of its
particular fashion for the time being, and sets up as objects of
admiration those who eminently possess it. Without asking, therefore,
how far men act from Christian principle, or only from the imitation of
it, or from some mere secular or selfish motive, yet, certainly, this
age, as far as appearance goes, may be accounted in its character not
unlike Barnabas, as being considerate, delicate, courteous, and
generous-minded in all that concerns the intercourse of man with man.
There is a great deal of thoughtful kindness among us, of conceding in
little matters, of scrupulous propriety of words, and a sort of code of
liberal and honourable dealing in the conduct of society. There is a
steady regard for the rights of individuals, nay, as one would fain hope
in spite of misgivings, for the interest of the poorer classes, the
stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. In such a country as ours,
there must always be numberless instances of distress after all; {280} yet the
anxiety to relieve it existing among the more wealthy classes is
unquestionable. And it is as unquestionable that we are somewhat
disposed to regard ourselves favourably in consequence; and in the midst
of our national trials and fears, to say (nay, sometimes with real
humility and piety) that we do trust that these characteristic virtues
of the age may be allowed to come up as a memorial before God, and to
plead for us. When we think of the commandments, we know Charity to be
the first and greatest; and we are tempted to ask with the young ruler,
"What lack we yet?"

I ask, then, by way of reply, does not our kindness too often
degenerate into weakness, and thus become not Christian Charity, but
lack of Charity, as regards the objects of it? Are we sufficiently
careful to do what is right and just, rather than what is pleasant? do
we clearly understand our professed principles, and do we keep to them
under temptation?

The history of St. Barnabas will help us to answer this question
honestly. Now I fear we lack altogether, what he lacked in certain
occurrences in it, firmness, manliness, godly severity. I fear it must
be confessed, that our kindness, instead of being directed and braced by
principle, too often becomes languid and unmeaning; that it is exerted
on improper objects, and out of season, and thereby is uncharitable in
two ways, indulging those who should be chastised, and preferring their
comfort to those who are really deserving. We are over-tender in dealing
with sin and sinners. We are deficient in jealous custody of the
revealed Truths which Christ has left us. We allow men to speak against
the Church, {281} its ordinances, or its teaching, without remonstrating with
them. We do not separate from heretics, nay, we object to the word as if
uncharitable; and when such texts are brought against us as St. John's
command, not to show hospitality towards them, we are not slow to answer
that they do not apply to us. Now I scarcely can suppose any one really
means to say for certain, that these commands are superseded in the
present day, and is quite satisfied upon the point; it will rather be
found that men who so speak, merely wish to put the subject from them.
For a long while they have forgotten that there were any such commands
in Scripture; they have lived as though there were not, and not being in
circumstances which immediately called for the consideration of them,
they have familiarized their minds to a contrary view of the matter, and
built their opinions upon it. When reminded of the fact, they are sorry
to have to consider it, as they perhaps avow. They perceive that it
interferes with the line of conduct to which they are accustomed. They
are vexed, not as if allowing themselves to be wrong, but as feeling
conscious that a plausible argument (to say the least) may be maintained
against them. And instead of daring to give this argument fair play, as
in honesty they ought, they hastily satisfy themselves that objections
may be taken against it, use some vague terms of disapprobation against
those who use it, recur to, and dwell upon, their own habitual view of
the benevolent and indulgent spirit of the Gospel, and then dismiss the
subject altogether, as if it had never been brought before them. {282}

Observe how they rid themselves of it; it is by confronting it
with other views of Christianity, which they consider incompatible with
it: whereas the very problem which Christian duty requires us to
accomplish, is the reconciling in our conduct opposite virtues. It is
not difficult (comparatively speaking) to cultivate single virtues. A
man takes some one partial view of his duty, whether severe or kindly,
whether of action or of meditation: he enters into it with all his
might, he opens his heart to its influence, and allows himself to be
sent forward on its current. This is not difficult: there is no anxious
vigilance or self-denial in it. On the contrary, there is a pleasure
often in thus sweeping along in one way; and especially in matters of
giving and conceding. Liberality is always popular, whatever be the
subject of it, and excites a glow of pleasure and self-approbation in
the giver, even though it involves no sacrifice, nay, is exercised upon
the property of others. Thus in the sacred province of religion, men are
led on,—without any bad principle, without that utter dislike or
ignorance of the Truth, or that self-conceit, which are chief
instruments of Satan at this day, nor again from mere cowardice or
worldliness, but from thoughtlessness, a sanguine temper, the excitement
of the moment, the love of making others happy, susceptibility of
flattery, and the habit of looking only one way,—led on to give up
Gospel Truths, to consent to open the Church to the various
denominations of error which abound among us, or to alter our Services
so as to please the scoffer, the lukewarm, or the vicious. To be kind is
their one principle of action; and, when {283} they find offence taken at the
Church's creed, they begin to think how they may modify or curtail it,
under the same sort of feeling as would lead them to be generous in a
money transaction, or to accommodate another at the price of personal
inconvenience. Not understanding that their religious privileges are a
trust to be handed on to posterity, a sacred property entailed upon the
Christian family, and their own in enjoyment rather than in possession,
they act the spendthrift, and are lavish of the goods of others. Thus,
for instance, they speak against the Anathemas of the Athanasian Creed,
or of the Commination Service, or of certain of the Psalms, and wish to
rid themselves of them.

Undoubtedly, even the best specimens of these men are deficient in a
due appreciation of the Christian Mysteries, and of their own
responsibility in preserving and transmitting them; yet, some of them
are such truly "good" men, so amiable and feeling, so
benevolent to the poor, and of such repute among all classes, in short,
fulfil so excellently the office of shining like lights in the world,
and witnesses of Him "who went about doing good," that those
who most deplore their failing, will still be most desirous of excusing
them personally, while they feel it a duty to withstand them. Sometimes
it may be, that these persons cannot bring themselves to think evil of
others; and harbour men of heretical opinions or immoral life from the
same easiness of temper which makes them fit subjects for the practices
of the cunning and selfish in worldly matters. And sometimes they fasten
on certain favorable points of character in the person they should
discountenance, and cannot get {284} themselves to attend to any but these;
arguing that he is certainly pious and well-meaning, and that his errors
plainly do himself no harm;—whereas the question is not about their
effects on this or that individual, but simply whether they are
errors; and again, whether they are not certain to be injurious to the
mass of men, or on the long run, as it is called. Or they cannot bear to
hurt another by the expression of their disapprobation, though it be
that "his soul may be saved in the day of the Lord." Or
perhaps they are deficient in keenness of intellectual perception as to
the moral mischief of certain speculative opinions, as they consider
them; and not knowing their ignorance enough to forbear the use of
private judgment, nor having faith enough to acquiesce in God's word, or
the decision of His Church, they incur the responsibility of serious
changes. Or, perhaps they shelter themselves behind some confused
notion, which they have taken up, of the peculiar character of our own
Church, arguing that they belong to a tolerant Church, that it is but
consistent as well as right in her members to be tolerant, and that they
are but exemplifying tolerance in their own conduct, when they treat
with indulgence those who are lax in creed or conduct. Now, if by the
tolerance of our Church, it be meant that she does not countenance the
use of fire and sword against those who separate from her, so far she is
truly called a tolerant Church; but she is not tolerant of error, as
those very formularies, which these men wish to remove, testify; and if
she retains within her bosom proud intellects, and cold hearts, and
unclean hands, and {285} dispenses her blessings to those who disbelieve or
are unworthy of them, this arises from other causes, certainly not from
her principles; else were she guilty of Eli's sin, which may not be
imagined.

Such is the defect of mind suggested to us by the instances of
imperfection recorded of St. Barnabas; it will be more clearly
understood by contrasting him with St. John. We cannot compare good men
together in their points of excellence; but whether the one or the other
of these Apostles had the greater share of the spirit of love, we all
know that anyhow the Beloved Disciple abounded in it. His General
Epistle is full of exhortations to cherish that blessed temper, and his
name is associated in our minds with such heavenly dispositions as are
more immediately connected with it,—contemplativeness, serenity of
soul, clearness of faith. Now see in what he differed from Barnabas; in
uniting charity with a firm maintenance of "the Truth as it is in
Jesus." So far were his fervour and exuberance of charity from
interfering with his zeal for God, that rather, the more he loved men,
the more he desired to bring before them the great unchangeable Verities
to which they must submit, if they would see life, and on which a weak
indulgence suffers them to shut their eyes. He loved the brethren, but
he "loved them in the Truth." [3 John 1.] He loved them for
the Living Truth's sake which had redeemed them, for the Truth which was
in them, for the Truth which was the measure of their spiritual
attainments. He loved the Church so honestly, that he was stern towards
those who troubled {286} her. He loved the world so wisely, that he preached
the Truth in it; yet, if men rejected it, he did not love them so
inordinately as to forget the supremacy of the Truth, as the Word of Him
who is above all. Let it never be forgotten then, when we picture to
ourselves this saintly Apostle, this unearthly Prophet, who fed upon the
sights and voices of the world of spirits, and looked out heavenwards
day by day for Him whom he had once seen in the flesh, that this is he
who gives us that command about shunning heretics, which whether of
force in this age or not, still certainly in any age is (what men now
call) severe; and that this command of his is but in unison with the
fearful descriptions he gives in other parts of his inspired writings of
the Presence, the Law, and the Judgments of Almighty God. Who can deny
that the Apocalypse from beginning to end is a very fearful book; I may
say, the most fearful book in Scripture, full of accounts of the wrath
of God? Yet, it is written by the Apostle of love. It is possible, then,
for a man to be at once kind as Barnabas, yet zealous as Paul.
Strictness and tenderness had no "sharp contention" in the
breast of the Beloved Disciple; they found their perfect union, yet
distinct exercise, in the grace of Charity, which is the fulfilling of
the whole Law.

I wish I saw any prospect of this element of zeal and holy sternness
springing up among us, to temper and give character to the languid,
unmeaning benevolence which we misname Christian love. I have no hope of
my country till I see it. Many schools of Religion and Ethics are to be
found among us, and they {287} all profess to magnify, in one shape or other,
what they consider the principle of love; but what they lack is, a firm
maintenance of that characteristic of the Divine Nature, which, in
accommodation to our infirmity, is named by St. John and his brethren,
the wrath of God. Let this be well observed. There are men who are
advocates of Expedience; these, as far as they are religious at all,
resolve conscience into an instinct of mere benevolence, and refer all
the dealings of Providence with His creatures to the same one Attribute.
Hence, they consider all punishment to be remedial, a means to an end,
deny that the woe threatened against sinners is of eternal duration, and
explain away the doctrine of the Atonement. There are others, who place
religion in the mere exercise of the excited feelings; and these too,
look upon their God and Saviour, as far (that is) as they themselves are
concerned, solely as a God of love. They believe themselves to be
converted from sin to righteousness by the mere manifestation of that
love to their souls, drawing them on to Him; and they imagine that that
same love, untired by any possible transgressions on their part, will
surely carry forward every individual so chosen to final triumph.
Moreover, as accounting that Christ has already done everything for
their salvation, they do not feel that a moral change is necessary on
their part, or rather, they consider that the Vision of revealed love
works it in them spontaneously; in either case dispensing with all
laborious efforts, all "fear and trembling," all self-denial
in "working out their salvation," nay, looking upon such
qualifications with suspicion, as leading {288} to a supposed self-confidence
and spiritual pride. Once more, there are others of a mystical turn of
mind, with untutored imaginations and subtle intellects, who follow the
theories of the old Gentile philosophy. These, too, are accustomed to
make love the one principle of life and providence in heaven and earth,
as if it were a pervading Spirit of the world, finding a sympathy in
every heart, absorbing all things into itself, and kindling a rapturous
enjoyment in all who contemplate it. They sit at home speculating, and
separate moral perfection from action. These men either hold, or are in
the way to hold, that the human soul is pure by nature; sin an external
principle corrupting it; evil, destined to final annihilation; Truth
attained by means of the imagination; conscience, a taste; holiness, a
passive contemplation of God; and obedience, a mere pleasurable work. It
is difficult to discriminate accurately between these three schools of
opinion, without using words of unseemly familiarity; yet I have said
enough for those who wish to pursue the subject. Let it be observed
then, that these three systems, however different from each other in
their principles and spirit, yet all agree in this one respect, viz., in
overlooking that the Christian's God is represented in Scripture, not
only as a God of love, but also as "a consuming fire."
Rejecting the testimony of Scripture, no wonder they also reject that of
conscience, which assuredly forebodes ill to the sinner, but which, as
the narrow religionist maintains, is not the voice of God at all,—or
is a mere benevolence, according to the disciple of Utility,—or, in
the judgment of the more mystical {289} sort, a kind of passion for the
beautiful and sublime. Regarding thus "the goodness" only, and
not "the severity of God," no wonder that they ungird their
loins and become effeminate; no wonder that their ideal notion of a
perfect Church, is a Church which lets every one go on his way, and
disclaims any right to pronounce an opinion, much less inflict a censure
on religious error.

But those who think themselves and others in risk of an eternal
curse, dare not be thus indulgent. Here then lies our want at the
present day, for this we must pray,—that a reform may come in the
spirit and power of Elias. We must pray God thus "to revive His
work in the midst of the years;" to send us a severe Discipline,
the Order of St. Paul and St. John, "speaking the Truth in
love," and "loving in the Truth,"—a Witness of Christ,
"knowing the terror of the Lord," fresh from the presence of
Him "whose head and hairs are white like wool, as white as snow,
and whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and out of His mouth a sharp
sword,"—a Witness not shrinking from proclaiming His wrath, as a
real characteristic of His glorious nature, though expressed in human
language for our sakes, proclaiming the narrowness of the way of life,
the difficulty of attaining Heaven, the danger of riches, the necessity
of taking up our cross, the excellence and beauty of self-denial and
austerity, the hazard of disbelieving the Catholic Faith, and the duty
of zealously contending for it. Thus only will the tidings of mercy come
with force to the souls of men, with a constraining power and with an
abiding impress, when hope and {290} fear go together. Then only will
Christians be successful in fight, "quitting themselves like
men," conquering and ruling the fury of the world, and maintaining
the Church in purity and power, when they condense their feelings by a
severe discipline, and are loving in the midst of firmness, strictness,
and holiness. Then only can we prosper (under the blessing and grace of
Him who is the Spirit both of love and of truth), when the heart of Paul
is vouchsafed to us, to withstand even Peter and Barnabas, if ever they
are overcome by mere human feelings, to "know henceforth no man
after the flesh," to put away from us sister's son, or nearer
relative, to relinquish the sight of them, the hope of them, and the
desire of them, when He commands, who raises up friends even to the
lonely, if they trust in Him, and will give us "within His walls a
name better than of sons and of daughters, an everlasting name that
shall not be cut off." [Isa. lvi. 4, 5.]